Little Angel
by Depp1987
Summary: From ep 701. I always thought thtere was a change in Derek when he operates on Greg so this is what would've happened.
1. Chapter 1

"hey, its OK…" Derek held the sixteen year old's arm gently, stroking it with his thumb. Greg's mom looked terrified when he came in, and Meredith looked on, unsure of what to say.

"It's OK, its OK, you're OK…" Derek murmured into his ear. The bottom of his chin was scarred, and red from the stiches, and his nose was expanded from the retractor.

"It's OK I'm right here… Just stay strong for me OK… that's it there we go… Its alright, you're alright." Derek wanted to hold him and calm him down, but he knew this was going to make or break his recovery.

"What are you doing?" Meredith asked coming to the other side. she saw Derek's gentle stroking.

"He loves this. I did it in the OR too." Derek answered, continuing the soothing motion.

"It's OK, it's OK," Derek whispered, he didn't even notice Mark coming in.

"I got a page. Hey buddy, what's wrong."

"April has no idea what morphine is. Mer answered. Derek shot her a look.

"Check the stiches OK…" Derek nodded, Meredith leaned down and went into Greg's other ear.

"You wanna know the other thing Dr. Sloane's good at?" Mer said softly taking his hand. Greg shook his head.

"Making this look attractive…" she gently ran a gloved hand down his chin.

"Although I must say if you wanted to go out for Halloween as Freddy Krueger, you have the perfect costume." Derek grinned.

**%%&&&&*****$#$$$$$^&%%**

"There we go…" Derek whispered, he gently rubbed Greg's hair soothing him to sleep as the morphine kicked in.

"maybe it'll be nice if you don't get your car wrapped around a tree, so you can see him through this." Mer said sarcastically.

"Meredith please…" Derek started to say, but she walked out of the room.

"What did she mean?" asked Mark.

"Nothing… nothing." Derek just shook his head.

"Give him this dosage every 4 hours. I have my pager if he wakes up again."

"Thank you… Thank you so much." Donna said, her eyes starting to fill again. Derek put his arms around her, and held her gently.

"he'll be OK, I promise." Derek whispered.

"We wouldn't leave if we thought he wouldn't make it through the night." Mark said, Derek nodded.

"Rough day?" Donna asked.

"You have no idea…" Derek answered leaning on the wall.

"Here, this is my pager. CALL me if he has any bad side effects OK." Derek handed her a piece of paper.

"You don't have to…"

"YES, I do." Derek said tensely. She looked confused.

"I never had a dad either. I know what he's going through.." Derek said softly.

"I… you…"

"He's one in a million this guy, you're lucky. The previous surgeon didn't do half the job Derek did today." Mark said, he stole a glance at his friend.

"What happened to your father?" Donna asked timidly.

"He died, and I saw it happen." She nodded.

"I know what he needs, and its more than just Dr. Shepard the neuro surgeon." He tore a piece of fabric from his shirt, and gave it to her.

"If he gets scared tonight, give him this to hold." Derek whispered.

************^^^^^%%&*%%%%%%**

"How is it you tell everyone not to get attached?" Mer asked as they laid in bed.

"He's young, OK he's sixteen."

"You identify with him…" Mer asjed, her head on his chest.

"Yeah, he's so young, and he didn't ask for this." Derek glanced at his pager.

"You've been watching that for 3 hours."

"I know, I'm just worried it was a massive surgery."

"Then don't kill yourself in a wreck, and leave him with no one for real." Mer raised her eyebrows. Derek nodded

**&&&&&^^^^^^^%%%%%%**

"Morning sleepy," Meredith whispered, she ran a hand over his forehead.

"Mmmmmmmm…" Mer smiled, he wanted to know where Derek was.

"He'll be here soon. You know, he watched his pager for three hours last night waiting for you. Glad we didn't have another episode."

"You are married to gem. He gave him fabric from his scrub last night…" Mer grinned.

"He is a gem. And he talked so much about you, I think he forgot I was there." she giggled.

"I'll tell you a secret.." she whispered in Greg's ear. He moved in close to hear her.

"YOU, were his first surgery back, AS Dr. Shepard Chief of Neuro." She whispered, Greg smiled with his eyes.

"Meredith please stop gossiping about me." Derek stood in the doorway grinning. Mer shook her head, and laid a hand on greg's arm.

"OK, show me with fingers: pain on a scale of 1-10." Derek asked. He held up 5 fingers.

"OK, so this is a good dosage. We'll just keep with this and I'll talk to Dr Sloane about the stiches. Might be a week or three but they will come out. Good news is you'll sleep a lot."

"His levels are OK, I'll come back and chevk after surgery.." Mer noted his temperature and blood pressure on a chart.

"He likes his IPAD, he told me he thinks it's a good way to talk to you guys," Derek smiled, and felt a lump in his throat.

"We'll chat tonight after I get a reading on your levels. I've gotta go check the scans and I'll be back tonight. Dr Sloane says we need a G tube in.." Meredith shot him a look of panic.

"Here," Derek sat on the bed gently.

"It goes through a few layers of skin and directly into your belly. Its done through surgery, OK."

"Honey, you have to eat and its not enough with just IV fluids. OK, Dr. Shepard will be there when they do it alright." Derek leaned down and stroked his forehead softly.

"Listen to me, I'll be there the whole time OK. We just have to feed you in a way that you can't open your mouth with. Trust me.." Greg grabbed his hand and did his favorite squeeze with his doctor.

"Here, play with my scrub fabric I gave Mom, I'll be here before you know it." Derek continued to rub his head gently.

"I won't let anything happen to you." He whispered into Greg's ear. Derek grabbed his pen light and shined it in one eye then the next.

"I'll be back." He turned and said to Donna walking out of the room slowly.


	2. Chapter 2

"Is he sleeping?" Derek whispered, softly walking into the dark hospital room.

"He wants you.." his mom whispered back, Derek nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Hi buddy, come on give me that great eye contact… There we go." Derek did his penlight test again and stroked his patient's swollen face.

"His scans are clean. All we need to do is heal…" Derek stroked Greg's arm again. He saw the teen lean his head into him. Derek had a lump again he couldn't swallow.

"He wrote on his IPAD for you." Donna said. Derek saw the light coming from its screen.

"DR SHEPARD, WHEN WILL THE PAIN STOP? YOU AND DR GREY MAKE AN AWESOME COUUPLE " Derek blinked away tears again. He felt he always did it around this young boy.

"Soon, OK, very soon. Its always hard after surgery, and yes if Mer had been on my team today we would be an even better couple, thank you though." Greg grabbed his hand and put his thumb back where it was.

"Yup, yes, that is all mine. No one else's." Greg tried to sit up, which snapped Derek back into Dr. Shepard.

Easy, easy, I'll do it OK.. I can do it, you just need to stay down. Sitting up after this can make some people dizzy… There, shhhh, hush… There we go."

"How are we tonight?" Mer whispered coming in, and gently putting another hand on Greg's shoulder.

"He's up, and chatty." Derek pointed to the IPAD.

"Mommy needs a break, go get coffee OK. I got you a pass.." Meredith handed it to her.

"OK, thanks so much. He's in more than capable hands." Meredith took a place on the other side of the bed, and the two watched Greg, who was snuggling into Derek sleeve.

"Here, follow my finger… There we go, good job. OK now the other way, that's it, great job." Derek went through his usual tests with Greg.

"Push against my hands, there, good…" Derek sat on the edge of the bed, softy stroking his hair.

"YOU'RE THE BEST DR SHEPARD" Mer grinned, and felt her eyes again fill with tears.

"Hey you, hey buddy," Meredith rubbed his head softly.

"We're right here pumpkin, OK nothing's gonna happen to you. OK, its all OK…" Derek whispered into his ear. He stopped thinking about the tumor, and just enjoyed spending time with him.

"He snuggles with your sleeve," mer whispered.

"I think his sensory is making that happen. The trauma and all, his body's been under stress so the brain compensates." Greg's head pillowed by Derek's coat.

"Where's Sloane?"

"The OR, I needed him to help me check the dressing, but it can wait. All you and I need to worry about is the clean scans I have." Derek grinned a huge smile at Greg and raised his eyebrows in Mer's direction.

"Their clean! He's all clear, it worked…" she squealed, Derek nodded, and continued rubbing Greg's arm.

"OK, now you need to get to sleep, so here we go with the magic juice." Derek said, taking the morphine syringe out of his pocket. He smiled at Greg's 'you can't be serious look'.

"I'll make it interesting, promise." Derek opened the bottom and placed the needle in the IV, gently pushing the medicine in.

"I'll be there in sec, I don't want to push this in fast and have it hurt, OK.." Mer squeezed his had hard. They had a long way to go.

"We're here, OK, Dr. Shepard and I aren't gonna let you fight this alone.." Meredith felt her voice crack, and tried to gt control.

"Done, OK buddy, its alright. OK, you going to be OK, I promise you." Derek didn't even notice he was laying on the pillow next to his patient.

"I won't let anything happen to you. Dr. Sloane and I've got you all the way." Derek gently rubbed his hair, while Mer held his hand. Greg's eyes were locked on his neuro surgeon, as Derek's loving words hit him.

"MY TUMMY HURTS." Derek held him tighter.

"OK, it's the morphine, that's where the pain in your tummy's coming from OK. Dr. Grey'll be right back with some anti nausea. That's my boy, everything's alright."

"I wont ruin the moment." Sloane said softly. Derek looked up.

"don't start looking at his tongue, he's almost asleep." Der whispered.

"And hes sick from the morphine.." Mer said as she ran out the open door.

"Bonding are we?" Derek looked away.

"Give me a second…" Mark answered, he inspected the facial swelling and the stitches.

"He needs a NG tube Derek. He needs to eat at some point."

"You wanna put a tube in his nose after you expanded the crap out of it with a retractor for 5 hours?"

"No, I think we might need a feeding tube, but how soon can he go back into an OR?" Derek raised an eyebrow.

"His brain needs to calm down, so maybe next week." Greg's hand moved and took Dereks sleeve.

"Hey buddy," Derek murmured, leaning down into a free ear.

"Feeding tube, next week." Mark looked and saw his friend distracted again. Derek began rubbing Greg's arm again.

"OK, back," Mer said running in. she put the drip into the IV.

"I could stay here all night.." Der whispered, not knowing she was there.

"You're attached."

"This is a major surgery."

"You don't have to pretend in front of me or Sloane." Der nodded. Greg cracked his eye open and squeezed his surgeons hand.

"We're here, we've gota ya… That's it…" Derek whispered, lulling him back to sleep. He felt the tears start again, and he let them stream down his face.

"Meredith.." Mer turned and saw Donna in the doorway.

"Oh God you look like my husband.." Mer grinned.

"Well, we can't well break this up can we?"

"Guess what? He will never leave him. When he loves someone it's the purest. Most sincere love that you'll ever see."

Derek couldn't sleep; he laid and listened to the ventilator. He just hoped he wasn't uncomfortable. He pushed himself off the bed, even though he was warm and sleepy, and went to the end of the bed. Gently pushing up the covers, he inspected the catheter, checking the site for irritation, and external swelling. Thank God a child's brain had the ability to heal fast for all their sakes. He decided to do his own stitches check gently he peered where the bandage was, and under it several stitches. He glanced at the IV and made sure the low was working well.

"Der" he saw his wife standing with Donna.

"We had a little tummy ache from the morphine which is normal, and he enjoys cuddle time with my scrub sleeve." Derek whispered, sitting for the first time in hours.

"You have no idea how much he loves you.." his mom whispered. Der stood up, and smiled, tears in his eyes.

"I can feel it, Donna. Him, and me, we don't need words." Derek whispered gently.

"he's out for the night, I'll see you in the morning."

"Thank you, thank you both." Derek enveloped her tightly. He lost the war waged against his tears.


	3. Chapter 3

"There we go…" Derek moved Greg's ventilator tubing over to the stretcher.

"Mommy'll be right there until we go in OK.." he whispered softly, Greg held his hand tightly.

"OK, here we go buddy.. Just trust me, your safe with me here." Derek gathered the sixteen year old up into his arms, transferring him from one bed to another.

"Its OK, hey you.. he's got you.." Mer whispered, securing the other side rail up.

"K, that wasn't speaking to me, that was reassuring you.." Derek said playfully. Greg gave him a 'is she serious' look.

"Well, since your neurosurgeon almost killed himself, yet again, I thought you should see what can happen when doctors mess up." Mer explained as they walked down the hall.

"OK, so I'll have your hand until they put you to sleep. You wont feel anything, and when you wake up we'll be right here."

"Mommy loves you," she kissed him on the forehead. Mer gently put an arm around her, giving a small smile.

"Its OK, its OK…" Derek held his hand, watching the frightened eyes from under the mask.

"Dr. Shepard," he looked up and saw Alex come in.

"Greg, Greg this is one of my good friends Dr. Karev and he's going to do the G tube OK. Everything's OK, we're gonna put you to sleep like you did with me." As an added comfort, Derek rubbed his arm softly with his thumb.

"We're not gonna let anything happen to you. We promise…" Alex whispered. He looked deep into Derek's eyes.

"I'm right here, OK, I'm gonna stay right here…" Derek whispered into his ear. Derek tried to stay cal in his head, but this was just one of many things they had to deal with. He watched as Alex made a small incision, threading the tube into his tummy, and closing it back up with the plastic sticking out. he placed a gentle hand on Greg's forehead, as the boy opened his eyes to Derek gentle, smiling face.

"Hey there, here we are," Derek whispered. Greg's eyes weren't empty, they were full of questions.

"Everything went great, OK. Its in and everything is going to be fine." Derek whispered as the wheeled down the hallway. He smiled at the sleepy look in his patient's eyes.

"The anesthesia will ware off so try and sleep OK? I'm right here, here, feel my hand? Blink for me, once for 'yes' twice for 'no'." he blinked once at his neurosurgeon.

"There, now close your eyes. I'm not going anywhere, my next surgery's not till 5 OK.." Derek sat quietly and let the calming sound of the ventilator relax him. He sat and rubbed Greg's face, which was less red, and hoped this was the last hurdle. Greg moved in his sleep, Derek promptly put a hand on his shoulder to calm him, then he started to softly sing to him.

"Hush little baby, don't say a word…" Derek sang softly into his ear, as if they were the only people and he wanted Greg to hear him and only him. Meredith watched silently from the back of the room, tears streaming down her face.

"He'll make a great daddy.." Donna came up besides her and smiled.

"I guess this is my litmus test…" Mer whispered back as she watched Derek caressing him and loving him as if he were his and Mer's own child.

"There he is, see your awake." Derek said grinning. They were in Greg's room now, all he saw was the plastic attached to him, and the IV lines.

"OK, so here we go; put the plastic in like his and gently push it through, not too fast but not so slow it doesn't go through." Derek said, demonstrating as he talked.

"I'm scared."

"You wont hurt anything, here I'll finish the first one and when my surgery's done I'll come watch OK.." she nodded.

"Hey you, there we go,,, This'll make you feel so much better I promise. Everything will be OK buddy. Nothing bad's gonna happen to you, the worst is over.." Der rubbed his face as he talked, gently stroking him so he would stay calm. Alex came in quietly.

"Page me if there is ANYTHING out of the ordinary. I have 2 craniotomies and a shunt placement."

"OK, you got it. When is Sloane taking the stitches out?"

"Next week," he saw the panic in Greg's eyes.

"Don't worry about it till you have to." Derek whispered. Bending down and gently rubbing his forehead.

"Go to sleep, I'll be back tonight." He gently rubbed his forehead as he talked. As he got up to leave, Greg in a moment of strength and need reached for Derek.

"OK, OK, easy buddy.. Dr. Shepard's right here.. Its alright…" Alex whispered, he could see the agony in his friend's eyes.

"Shhh, sshhhh, its alright.. Close yor eyes, everything's OK. Its all OK. I'm right here." Derek felt his grip around him tightening. Time stopped in the room and then he heard Alex's voice.

"Der, he fell asleep in your arms." Derek looked down at the sleeping child that nested in his jacket, laying against his scrubs. He Felt the tears sliding down his checks, afraid to move because he didn't want to wake this amazing sixteen year old that he saved.

"I have to go, give him a kiss for me…" Donna nodded, and held him.

"Give him one when you come back; you love is helping save him to Dr. Shepard." Der nodded and held her tighter.

Seven hours and three surgeries his patients were all set and safe. He was so tired, and just wanted to nap in the on call room, but his boy needed him. He drank some coffee on the way and sliped into the dark hospital room. Greg awoke, groggy, and his eyes begging for Derek.

"Hi there," he sat on the bed, and gently rubbed his arm again like he always did.

"Time for supper…" he gently took the tube and poured the liqid in with the other hand. Greg just sleepily stared at him, relishing in this extra attention he was getting from his wonderful Dr. Sheperd.

"That's my boy, that's my good boy.. There we are. That's it. I'm here, OK honey." He peered down at his swollen face, laying a hand on his forehead. He himself tried not to think about the stitches, and the pain his poor boy would feel. It broke Derek's heart as he cupped a hand under his chin. He laid his head on the pillow, and wrapped a protective arm around him.

"Dr. Sloan will take out the stitches in a few days and everything will be OK, promise.." Greg held onto him tighter.

"Sleep, its OK. You're fine, I'm not going anywhere…" he saw his sickly patient sigh of relief, which brought tears to his eyes.

**LATER**

"Honey, its me, its Dr. Sheperd…" Derek gently woke up, Greg had to realize what was happening.

"Wha… its 3 AM…" he sat up, and saw Derek sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Pumpkin we need to talk, something happened…" Der felt the crack in his voice, and the tears forming

"What?"

"Sweetie, he's gone." Derek voice broke this time.

"No, he can't, what…" Derek just pulled him into his lap, and held him close, rocking him like a little boy.

"I'm so sorry honey, we did everything we could…" Greg's sobs caused Derek's tears to come faster.

"No, he can't be dead!" Greg's head hurt from the crying, and Derek's grip around his waist.

"You were the last one we scrubbed in on, sweetheart. And you have no IDEA how grateful I am." He felt the nineteen year old trembling in his arms.

"Hes gone… he's gone…" Derek nodded, and felt his baby, sobbing into his night shirt.

"Der…" he saw Jackson in the doorway with Greg's mom. Jackson walked over to the bed quickly, and slipped his arms around Greg from behind.

"Come here, shhh, shhhh, I know… I know… we all loved him, its OK baby…" Jackson whispered, trying to stay calm.

"we've got you.." all Derek could see was his best friend standing over him; saving a life together.

"You wanna lay down?" Greg heard his neurosurgeon whisper through sobs.

"No, no… No…" Jackson shushed him gently, and they just stayed there.

"I'm here, angel That's my boy, I'm right here…" Derek whispered, holding on tighter.

"Get me the water bottle on the bed with the straw in it.. I've gotta give him some fluids.." Avery did, tears stil streaming down his checks.

"Come on, come here buddy.. Come on, will you drink for Dr. Sheperd and Dr. Avery." Derek tilted the the bottle and held the straw.

"Honey, we know its hard, but you need to stop crying for a minute or you could choke.." Avery said trying to talk steady. Greg's breathing relaxed as he lay against Der's chest.

"Open up for me… there we go…" Derek tried to snap into surgeon mode and focus on the swallowing; it was impossible.

"You know, Sloan wasn't keen on doing you- the first scan I showed them…" Der whispered, trying to distract his grieving boy.

"But then, when I said I could get it all, he changed into his cutting up self.." Derek gently pulled the bottle away, and dabbed his lips with his shirt.

"What's gonna happen to Sophia…"

"Callie can't even get that far… with Arizona and all." Avery whispered, gently rubbing his back.

"How about a story? I think we could all use a story…" Greg laughed, tears still in his eyes.

"Mark, and I took turns reading to him, we all got so bored the two months he couldn't talk.. so Mer and I raided her closet." Derek pulled him close. Greg loved how warm his neurosurgeon always felt.

"Remember when the TV sparked, and Sloan jumped?" Avery grinned.

"We all joked you watched so much it just blew up." Derek pulled out "The Velveteen Rabbit"

"Avery settle in, this is a good one." He grinned, and got on Greg's other side.

"Once upon a time…" Derek kept his voice low, and soft, hoping they would all go to sleep.

"The other toys were mechanical and he was filled with straw…" the three of them listened to the story, all hoping, in some way Mark was nearby. Greg's head was still snuggled into Derek''s chest. He realized that other kids had family, and he had his doctors, that loved him unconditionally.

"Shep," Greg whispered, as Derek finished the story.

"What baby boy?" Derek whispered back.

"I don't care if you ever operate again, I'm just grateful that I didn't lose both you.." he choked out through sobs.

"Oh honey…" Derek squeezed him tightly, letting the book drop to the floor.

"I'm here pumpkin… I'm here… I'll always be here for you, shhhh, sshhhh, its all OK now."

"I love you," Derek breathed in deeply, kissing him on the forehead. He then remembered the first voice he heard when he woke up. _"Dr. Torres, we can't lose him!" _Derek had thought he had been in a trance until he felt the hand squeeze his good arm. _"McDreamy its me… I'm here with Mom… Please, please don't go… You saved me, I cant lose you now. Dr. Sheperd please…" _He had found Meredith at some point, but when that was, he didn't remember.

"I'll never leave you again. Once was enough.." Derek whispered, tears forming in his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

"There we go… That's it…" Derek whispered, letting the light linger in one eye and then the next.

"Its my turn." Mark said, he never got annoyed over a patient but this was carzy.

"Give me a second.." Derek said moving his finger around the room, as Greg's eyes followed it.

"Your hogging him, God Shep, share a bit with us." Greg smiled with his eyes at Sloan.

"Check the G tube for me," Derek noted things on Greg's chart.

"Greg, you have a new extremity and its Derek. I'll come back when I can have some time." Mark gave a playful smile.

"BATH TIME?" Derek nodded.

"Its just too personal for anyone to do.. Kinda the unspoken thing, and you're not a baby. You OK?"

"YES. I WANT YO TO DO IT." Derek smiled, and put the sponge into the warm water. He went around the tube, and the smell of soap filled the air.

"Lorenzo's Oil, remember?" Greg nodded. Derek had showed him the movie one night while they stayed together he and Sloan slept there in shifts so their patient wouldn't be alone.

"That's my boy, yeah, your OK.. Its all OK, and this will make everything feel better… yes, I know you're icky. I'm not gonna let anything hurt you." Greg knew he meant emotionally. Watching Derek had never thought to be this invested, but this boy had no daddy; that hit Derek hard.

"I did a shunt today, and it went great. The little girl is stable, and watching cartoons." He moved to his legs, which he checked for bed sores.

"I TRUST YOU AND SLOAN MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE. YOU SAVED ME." Derek nodded as he disconnected the catheter, checking for swelling.

"Its much easier to have someone of the same sex do this, that's my feeling." He took out the moisturizer and put it on each leg. They heard footsteps.

"Its Sloan, you left the pj's in Meredith's locker." Greg laughed with his eyes.

"Come on in.." Derek pulled the oxygen off, and Greg felt better to breath normally.

"Scrub pants," Derek nodded as he pulled a Columbia t shirt onto his sickly patient.

"FEEL SOOOO MUCH BETTER."

"I think we can leave it on at night… Your breathing's better now."

"You guys in there." Avery called.

"Yeah, don't show anything for the love of God." Sloan called back, smiling at Greg.

"Hey you," Avery whispered, gently rubbing his arm.

"OK, so how are you planning to do this?" Derek eyed the younger surgeon.

"Numb up his lips, and then I can gain access to the wire that holds his jaw shut and the stitches in the tongue were dissolvable." '' Derek nodded, bending down and gently holding Greg's head still.

"I'm here, I'm right here… nothing bad will happen to you. The worst is over, I'm here its all OK.." Derek whispered, stroking his head.

"Angel, look at Derek.. Mommy's here, its OK. Look at Derek… everything will be alright." Greg locked eyes on his neurosurgeon as Avery put the drape over him.

"Feel lips?" Avery asked. Greg shook his head, holding Derek's hand tighter than before.

"OK, I'm using this rubber to keep your mouth open. I'll numb everything just to make it more comfortable." Tears streamed out of Greg's eyes, but then he relaxed as the spray hit his teeth that were throbbing, and then his inner cheek.

"So one time, when Sloaner and I were kids.. We put my frog in a microwave… I think we wanted to see if the electricity could make him warmer." Avery pulled out one wire as Derek talked. Greg squirmed slightly, Derek leaned down next to the pillow.

"Shhhh, hey, I'm right here…" Der whispered, rubbing his forehead, just lik he did with Mereith.

"All done," Avery grinned.

"Shhh, just sleep OK bunny…" Greg whimpered as the numbing spray started to wear off. Mark leaned don on the other side, gently shushing him.

"Its alright, Dr. Avery got it all out. I put morphine into your IV, it'll work soon. We're all here with you, shhh," Derek laid down on the pillow next to their patient. He stroked Greg's face with his thumb as Meredith turned out the lights.

"There we go," she whispered, propping a bunny up against the pillow.

"Its almost over baby, this long fight will be over soon. We've won the war…" Derek lost the battle with his tears. He felt them stream down his face like a river.

"Come here pumpkin," he gathered everything he had to be strong for Greg, and blinked away what he had. Laying against the pillows he stroked the swollen cheeks more. With his free hand Greg rubbed his neurosurgeon's dark hair.

"mah, mah," Derek made the sound effects at the same time as he kissed him on the forehead. He moved the bunny, Thumper, closer.

"He likes bath time?" his mom whispered, Derek smiled.

"The heat help keep his muscles loose, and very often when we have trauma- surgery, all we want is to be loved, and snuggled." Derek took some cream and rubbed it on his hands, then put it on each arm. Greg coud feel the heat on his tired, sick skin.

"If he could sit up better, I'd decath him and sit us on the chair…" Derek leaned against the window.

"He wants you more than me some nights, he'll say, 'Mama, where's Dr. Sheperd?' " Greg whimpered again, squeezing his neurosurgeon's arm. Derek raised his eyebrows and grinned.

"And that's code for, 'I want my lullaby, and to go sleepy.' " Derek pulled him close, giving him Mer's bunny.

"And we say good night." Derek handed him the bunny.

"NIGHT. IM THIRSTY." Derek smiled wider, he got the water bottle with a straw in it.

"Open up for me." Greg did and swallowed for the first time in eight weeks.

"Try and give me a kiss.." Derek saw mom raise an etebrow. Greg reached up and put his arms around Derek, and concentrated on moving his lips, he couldn't do it.

"Here sweetheart, listen to me.." he saw Greg looking around the room. Der gently held his face.

"C'mon sweetheart, tell your brain to tell your lips to move, and then pucker for me OK. Tell your brain to tell your mouth, to tell your lips…" Der felt the strength being drained out of him, but for some reason he only got more determined.

"Baby, c'mon, please try again for me, and mommy." Greg shook his head defeated by exhaustion. Derek laid down on the pillow again.

"C'mon, you can do it, you can do this, I promise.. Tell your brain, to tell your mouth, to tell your lips to move then just give Dr. Sheperd a kiss." Greg looked at him and Derek saw one thing, 'I can't, please don't make me.'

"Der, maybe its too much. Avery just took out a wire that has been in for two months…" Sloan said, Derek didnt look up. Greg's eyes changed to 'hold me, I'm scared Dr. Sheperd.'

"Come here," Derek slipped into the bed next to him.. and pulled him close. Greg put his head on Derek bare chest, his heart thumping into Greg's ear.

"Sloan check the urine for infection." His best friend nodded.

"We'll try again tomorrow." His neurosurgeon whispered. He tickled Greg's arm, and let the ventilator relax him. Derek looked away, tears started in his eyes again.

"I'm sorry, baby… I'm so sorry… I'm sorry…" Der shook his head, this time he let himself cry. Greg looked up at him confused.

"Derek…" Sloan walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. It hit Derek what could have happened if he had killed himself the day after Greg's surgery. Greg took his hand, his eyes soft, giving Derek a look that only made the lump in his throat bigger.

"I'm sorry, I could have hurt you, more than me." Tears still in Derek's eyes. Greg patted the sheets, he didn't care, he wanted his neurosurgeon. Derek laid down again, Greg resumed his place laying over Derek beating heart.

"He needs you Dr. Sheperd." His mom said, Meredith put her arms around her. This was so hard on everyone.

"It took him to make you realize this, the two of us had to put it into your head." Meredith said evenly.

"Mer, please, he's fussy and I'm exhausted." Der said wearily, he just wanted to hold Greg and go to sleep. Mer walked out, kissing Greg on the cheek.

"I'm OK, bunny. Its been a hard night…" Greg took his hand and spelled into it.

"PLEASE DON'T DIE." Derek stroked his cheek. Greg laid there content, and warm, the oxygen on his face silent, and nothing but the should of Derek's breathing. He touched the bandage that Dr. Sloan put on when they took out his trech tube.

"Mama really must love you, and she must really trust me and DR Sloan." Der smiled in the darkness. Greg moaned.

"What? What is it?" he moaned again.

"Baby, shhh, shhh, I don't know what that means… Try again…" Derek squeezed him tighter, he felt his forehead no fever. He felt his tummy to see if it was swollen from the tube that was still feeding him. Greg signed into his hand again.

"I FEEL WEIRD." Derek stroked his face gently with his thumb.

"You've had a wire holding your mouth shut angel, here want me to sing." Greg nodded. He put his thumb in his mouth, Derek stopped cold.

"Oh my God, good, yay… that;s it… your OK." In a fleet of happiness Der kissed his forehead. Their faces touching, and Greg loved the warmth of Dr. Sheperd. Derek paged Sloan quickly, then Callie.

"Lullaby and good night…" Derek sang to him softly, Greg soaked in every second of it, his thumb in his mouth. Callie came in softly and grinned.

"Hey, how is that… Is that a yummy thumb?" she held his hand tight.

"Hey buddy! Wow, look at this, Shep already has you using your saliva glands." Derek rubbed his forehead, smiling.

"He did it all on his own." Der whispered, still smiling. Callie and Sloan glanced over as their patient slept on Derek's chest.

"Hey… hey, I love you pumpkin." He whispered, Mark grinned. He had never seen his best friend so attached.

Derek listened to his breathing, as if expecting a problem to come. They had been through too much, and he knew what it ment for him to feel OK. It was so hard not to hut for what he had to deal with. He only hoped his love was enough to make him completely better. Derek was afraid to sleep, he didn't want to be out and have Greg wake up in pain. He heard him moan, as if content.

"Yesterday a child came out to wonder…" he knew the song was soothing, and even though Greg probably didn't know who Joni Mitchell was, the song was loving.

"Your gonna be OK… I promise." Derek whispered, wrapping an arm around him.

"I…" Derek heard a whisper but he didn't know what it was at first.

"Honey, what was that? Did you just speak? Did you say 'I'? say it again…" Der held his face gently.

"please honey, just try…" callie grinned, she couldn't believe what had happened.

"Do it angel, for me?" Derek whispered, he rubbed his face gently, trying to keep him quiet, and not getting him upset.

"I…" he tried again and let it stop, all he saw was Dr. Sheperd's soft eyes, being there with him, every step of the way.

"Come on, you've got this… Come on buddy, we're all here with you, you're not alone…"

"I love… you." Greg whispered in a breathy voice. Tears streamed out of his eyes. He felt Derek pull him close, and warmth came over him, as he knew that he was loved.

"Shhhh, shhhh… Its OK, I gotcha, that's it, you're OK." Derek held him close again, both of them clinging to each other love.


End file.
